The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-25
The Scene of the Disaster

Iho Scene of the Disaster.
Chicago Tribune.
Tne shocks of earthquake recorded in to-nights
dispatches extend over very wide area along
the northern Mediterranean coast, beginning at
Marseliies. along the Riviera to Cannes and Nice,
thence to the Genoa, and then down the coast
again as far as Rome. Northward the concus-
sions were felt at Milan and Geneva and doubt
less subsequent cable dispatches will bring news
from scores of other affected points. The most
violent shocks: however, were felt on the shores
OF the Gulf of Genoa, where, at Noli, not far
from Savona, fifteen people were killed and
thirty injured by falling houses; at D:ano-
Marino, near Onegla, where scores of people
were Killed and hundreds injured and third of
the town destroyed; and at Cervo near Dlano-
Marino, whore three hundred persons were
buried under the falling ruins
All the points struck by the awful calam-
ity are on the railroad from Genoa to Nice by
way OF the Riviere di Ponente, and are we'll
known to tourists On leaving Genoa the rail-
way skirts the coast passing the many promon-
tories by innumerable tunnels Savona is a
town OF 70. 600 inhabitants, charmingly situated
among lemon and orange gardens. 1t contains
handsome cathedral and theater dedicated
to the poet Chiabrera. native of the place 1t
was the birthplace of Popes Sextus Nv and JULIUS
ii. Leaving Savona the road skirts the sea,
passing through many tunnels and galleries
Til Spontorno and Noli are reached. The latter
is small place, picturesquely situated, shaded
by dense olive groves. Here the earthquake
caused many houses to fal and fifteen people
were lilled outright After passing Alberga,
the Apbigannum of the Romans, an ancient
town and an episcopal residence, manv heauti
full chateaus, and several small places, Cervo is
reached, little place picturesquely situated on
a slope. Here is where the greatest loss of life
is reported. Here no less than 800 per
sons were killed by being buried under the
falling ruins. The list of wounded is not yet
given, but unless every house in the place
was destroyed the number will not be very large
Two miles from Cervo, on a fertile plain, where
olives and figs abound. comes the village of
Diano- Marino, where. the cabled report says,
scores eff people were killed and third of the
houses destroyed. Here, therefore, on the line
| of the Cornish road, lying between Sayona and
| Oneglia. the earthquake seems to have caused
the greater loss of life and disaster to property.
| Oneglia is seaport town of G,000 inhabitants.
| It is fortunate, in SO far as England and
| America are concerned, that the area of destruc-
tion caused by the earthquake is apparently con.
| fined to the strip of the Riviera between Savona
| and Oneglia Had the destruction extended to
| San Reno, Nice, Monaco and CanLes doubtless
| many English and American tourists would have
| been among the lists of killed and wounded AS
| it is. these places seem to have escaped with q
| severe shaking. At the present time all these
beautiful wintering resorts on the Mediterranean
| are crolded with English-speaking tourists, and
| the papers nave recently brought accounts OF
| the gayety in the foreign colonies gathered
| there.
| The entire coast now struck by the earth
| quake has been in the past peculiarly subjec
| to these earth throes, though not to great ar
| extent as southern Italy and Sicily. Here there
has no century elapsed since the earliest period.
of history which has not been distinguished BY
severe and frequent terrestrial convulsons
| From 1913 to 1776 this region was almost con
stantly disturbed, the center of the disturbance,
having esen generally. Vesuvius. 1t is impos
! sible, with the meagre data in hand, to say
where fSps shocks originated, but judging from
| their direction. spreading out in the shape of
fan on reaching the Riviera, it is about certain
that the point to be sought for lies to the soutl
in Corsica or Sardinia. perhaps in Sicily
| where the Etna volcano has been recently yer,
| active. In 1883 dltna broke into activity, caus
ing terrible devastation and loss of life, and il
| the early part of 1856 again became actively de
structive New volcanoes opened up, sendin:
forth glowing streams of lava which buried be
| meath its molten mass fields, vineyards, blossom
| ing gardens, and entire villages. The mos
| recent earthquake in Italy was the one whicl
| ingulfed Ischia and hundreds of people. Sine
| then many other great earthquake calamitie
| have been recorded, notably the one of Krakato
and the great calamity Of last year in New
| Zealand.